[Inflammation and atherosclerosis: state of the art in 2004-2005]

Inflammation plays a pivotal role in atherosclerosis; being present in all steps of the pathology, from initiation to the progression of the lesions to the development of vulnerable plaques and clinical destabilisation. Therefore, systemic markers of inflammation have emerged to predict future cardiovascular events in patients initially admitted for unstable syndromes, but also in healthy subjects. These markers can identify high risk patients and they are used to adapt ideal treatment to the patient's profile. The implication of the inflammation process in the treatment strategies is described in the last part of the article.